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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Bill OBrien took the podium, looked straight ahead and uttered the kind of words you would expect from someone who had just been introduced as Penn States new head football coach. "This is unbelievable." The offensive co-ordinator for the New England Patriots the past four years, OBrien picked quite a challenge for his first head-coaching job. Until Nov. 9, the Nittany Lions had been directed by the same person for 46 seasons -- Joe Paterno. The Hall of Fame coach, however, was fired in the aftermath of child sex abuse scandal involving retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Not only is OBrien replacing Division Is winningest coach, he is joining a school trying to steer its way through federal, NCAA and Big Ten inquiries -- not to mention criminal proceedings against former administrators. OBrien will remain with the Patriots for the duration of their playoff run. New England has a bye this weekend. "I feel like Im a mentally tough guy right now," the 42-year-old OBrien said. "I feel like Im the right guy." The new coach said he would pull together his staff during the next two or three days, and get the assistants on the recruiting trail immediately while he works with New England. He will retain assistant Larry Johnson from Paternos staff to coach the defensive line. "Im going to surround myself with good people," OBrien said, "and Im excited to do that." His five-year contract, finalized Friday, included base compensation starting at US$950,000, with a five per cent increase each season. OBrien will also collect another $1 million a year for radio and television work, as well as a $350,000 Nike contract. The base package is roughly on par with Paternos compensation, which was about $1.02 million last year -- a relative bargain for a coach with two national championships. Until now, Penn State never released details of salary from endorsement deals outside the school. OBrien joined New England in 2007 following 14 seasons on the college level, including stops at Duke, Maryland and Georgia Tech. The Patriots are third in the NFL overall in scoring (32.1 points per game), and second in total offence (428 yards) and passing (317.8 yards). Penn State finished a 9-4 campaign with a 30-14 loss in the TicketCity Bowl to Houston on Jan. 2. The Nittany Lions relied on defence much of the year after the offence struggled with a two-quarterback system. PSU President Rodney Erickson said OBrien as someone who would "maintain the schools commitment to excellence on the field and in the classroom. We have that leader in Coach OBrien." Though OBrien has no previous ties to Penn State, he and Paterno do have one thing in common -- both are graduates of Brown University. OBrien rocked on his heels and fidgeted with a water bottle while taking questions from reporters. Stepping to the podium, he surveyed the crowd and found his young son, Michael, wearing the blue No. 25 jersey of tailback Silas Redd. "I cant wait to get going on this," he said, "get everyone headed in the right direction." This was OBriens first year co-ordinating the Patriots powerful offence, but he has also coached star quarterback Tom Brady since 2009 and spent 2008 coaching receivers. OBrien recently was in the spotlight when he and Brady got into a heated argument, shown on national television, after Brady threw an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter of the Patriots 34-27 win over the Washington Redskins on Dec. 11. Asked about the incident and his relationship with Brady, he spoke of the Pro Bowl quarterback in glowing terms, adding: "Football is an emotional game." Brady has described OBrien as a great coach and friend; Pats receiver Julian Edelman said he is charismatic and emotional. Not everyone, though, has immediately hopped aboard the OBrien bandwagon. Some alumni and former players were concerned that OBrien had no previous head coaching experience nor Penn State ties. Others were critical of the search itself, angered that ex-players werent consulted about the selection process. Former teammates and standout linebackers Brandon Short and LaVar Arrington started a petition supporting the candidacy of interim coach Tom Bradley. OBrien addressed the rumblings in a letter he said he sent to former players. "We respect the rights to ones opinions, beliefs and (their) contributions to Penn State," he said, reading it at the briefing. "We respectfully request the opportunity to earn your trust through communication. In time, we will find we have more common interests and goals than not." Bradley wished OBrien well. The longtime assistant under Paterno remained on the staff as of Saturday, though his future was uncertain. "No matter the challenges that the university may face, Penn State will always have my support," Bradley said in a statement. "This is forever my home and forever my family. It is important that we come together to support our players and our university." New England coach Bill Belichick, whom OBrien thanked during the news conference, said in a statement that OBrien "has met every personal and professional challenge head on with great passion and competitiveness." "I expect Bill to draw on his deep background in college football and the NFL to continue attracting and developing top players," Belichick said. "For five years, Bills outstanding work with our quarterbacks and entire offence has led to record-setting performances. His presence and command before our team has grown into that of an inspirational leader. "This is a great match between a storied program and an old-school football coach. Bill will be up to the task and I couldnt be happier for him." Josh Thomas . Atletico built a provisional three-point advantage over Barcelona before the defending champion hosts Elche on Sunday. Barcelona then visits Atletico in the following round. "We will have to wait and see if Barcelona wins tomorrow to stay leader, as it is accustomed to doing," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. Josh Norman . While the spotlight has been on potential first overall draft pick Jadeveon Clowney and his 40-yard time, and top quarterback prospect Blake Bortles during the throwing drills, top prospects Greg Robinson and Sammy Watkins have impressed scouts enough to solidify or even boost their spots on draft boards. http://www.nflpanthersus.com/authentic-star-lotule...nk-jers ey/ . So on Friday, they went to work. The two-time Eastern Conference runner-ups announced they had signed three free agents -- backup big man Lavoy Allen, swingman C. Travelle Wharton Jerseys . LUCIE, Fla. Nate Chandler Jersey Carolina Panthers . Bautista led off the 10th inning with his second homer of the game, lifting the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night.The Washington Capitals added some depth between the pipes on Wednesday. General manager George McPhee announced that they have recalled goaltender Michal Neuvirth from his conditioning loan with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. Neuvirth injured his right ankle on Nov. 29 when he stepped on a puck during warm-up and hasnt played with the big club since. He played one game with Hershey duuring his conditioning stint, stopping 33 shots in the Bears 7-4 win over Binghamton on Dec.dddddddddddd 14. The 25-year-old has appeared in seven games this season with the Capitals, posting a 2-3-1 record with a 2.83 goals against average and .912 save percentage. Neuvirth has a 57-38-12 record with a 2.67 goals against average and a .910 save percentage in 128 career games with Washington. ' ' '
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